his heavily illustrated volume will prove a blessing to every aquarium hobbyist who has had to settle for superficial plant descriptions in general fish-keeping books. It presents a detailed A-to-Z directory covering hundreds of aquarium plants with high quality color photos and succinct profiles of each plant. Information includes the plant?s common name, botanical designation, growth cycle, and general description. This handsome book is divided into the following sections:

* Introducing Aquarium Plants: An overview that distinguishes between underwater parts of land plants and plants that are entirely aquatic, with commonly available examples from both groups.
* How to Grow Aquarium Plants: Detailed instructions on planting techniques, feeding, lighting, the use of carbon dioxide systems, and general troubleshooting.
* How to Propagate Aquarium Plants: Most aquarium plants are easy to propagate from cuttings and in some cases from seed. This section shows how.
* A Detailed Survey of Aquarium Plants: The comprehensive, illustrated, A-to-Z plant directory, as described above.

This handsome volume features approximately 450 color photos and illustrations.